Single bottle batches?

mendozer · 02-10-2012, 05:36 AM

I'm mainly a beer brewer, but I'm thinking about experimenting with uber tiny wine batches. I have bottles saved up. Is it possible to ferment single bottle sized batches? Can I do so in the bottle (with tiny bung and air lock)?

I was thinking of experimenting with orange wine, apple wine, mead, etc this way.

Earthymusic · 02-10-2012, 06:18 AM

umm...well i havent done that in years but I used to make hooch and wine in single bottles. yeah ive made champaigne, bluberry wine all sorts and to tell yoou the truth its how it got me into beer years ago. my first fermented batch i think was organic grape juice and bakers yeast. didnt taste that great and the alcohol was low but hey. I couldnt find an airlock small enough so i used a ballon with a hole in the top. I ve heard of people using condoms because ther sterile already but I dont know if you want to infuse the flavor in there

Note though you will have a bit of sediment at the bottom you can rerack or if it doesnt bother you just try not to get it in the glass. Best of luck!

**OpenContainer** · 02-10-2012, 12:47 PM

You'll expend the same effort making a 1, 3 or 5 gallon batch as you will making a single bottle. Why not step it up and set some aside for aging? You should get around 5 bottles per gallon in larger batches. Do you not have the equipment to go larger? Buy a gallon (actually 4 liters) of Carlos Rossi and save the bottle. The Sangria isn't too bad with a splash of sprite.

Recipe correction just seems like a hassle when you go all the way down to a single bottle.

Dicky · 02-10-2012, 01:06 PM

Just do a gallon. 1g Demijohns/carboys are pretty inexpencive.

And what if your one bottle turns out to be great??

Dicky

mendozer · 02-10-2012, 03:49 PM

I have carboys big enough, 3 , 6, 5, gallons. I don't want to make 20 bottles of something then wait until my bottles build up again. Pretty sure i only have about 15 right now anyways. I'll try the 1 gallon jugs or Carlo Rossi (won't drink it though!). The only thing then is I'll have to drink it all in a couple days before it expires.

Tw0fish · 02-10-2012, 10:04 PM

They have single-stream recycling where you live? Go cruising on trash night for wine bottles! Your bottles oughta be thoroughly washed and sanitized before you fill 'em anyway!

mendozer · 02-10-2012, 10:14 PM

single stream? like everything collected at once? if so, yes for private pickup (which is my deal). There may be collection centers elsewhere, not sure.

kurtism · 02-11-2012, 03:38 AM

almost all restaurants i've asked give me their bottles. its the best way to get many similar ones if you really want continuity

kingfarvito · 02-11-2012, 06:11 AM

I work for a bar and grill I asked for a few bottles and was given a little over 50 bottles. I would try your local bar.

**huesmann** · 02-11-2012, 12:51 PM

In my neck of the woods they have separate recycling streams for paper/cardboard and plastic/glass/metal. I've discovered two locations where I go dumpster diving for bottles. One is behind a wine bar restaurant; the other is behind a row of restaurants. Sunday mornings are generally better than Saturday mornings for picking (prolly because you get both Friday and Saturday nights for bottles to pile up), but I get a ton of bottles that way. Last weekend I think I grabbed 5 dozen bottles.

ETA: I don't want to ask restaurants directly, except on single occasions (like "can I have the bottles you have right now?"), because if I ask them to hold bottles and then don't turn up for some reason I'd feel bad, and I think flaking out would cause ill will.